This dataset describes fishing intensity for OT MIX CRU DMF mobile bottom contacting gear in 2010 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). ICES secretariat collected during 2017 relevant VMS and logbook data for 2009-2016 to produce, as a technical service to HELCOM, updated spatial data layers on fishing intensity/pressure. Improved data quality control checks were implemented. Submitted data across the HELCOM area have improved in quality compared to previous data 2009-2013 published in 2015. Standardized methods were used to produce the requested data layers. The code used to create the data products is available here: https://github.com/ices-eg/wg_WGSFD For further technical information on the advice request, see http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2017/Special_requests/helcom.2017.18.pdf HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the shapefile provided by ICES: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. Dataset attribute information: c-square: Unique reference of the c-square polygon Year: Year of fishing activity mid_lat: latitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees mid_lon: longitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees SurfaceSAR: Surface area ratio (Swept area, < 2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) Subsurface: Subsurface area ratio (Swept area, subsurface =>2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) totweight: Total Weight (kg) totvalue: Total value (Euros) Kw Fishing Hours: (Kw*h) Fishing hours: (h) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data). Please note that this dataset was updated (v2) in January 2019, see further details below in the lineage section.

This dataset describes fishing intensity for Seine mobile bottom contacting gear in 2014 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). ICES secretariat collected during 2017 relevant VMS and logbook data for 2009-2016 to produce, as a technical service to HELCOM, updated spatial data layers on fishing intensity/pressure. Improved data quality control checks were implemented. Submitted data across the HELCOM area have improved in quality compared to previous data 2009-2013 published in 2015. Standardized methods were used to produce the requested data layers. The code used to create the data products is available here: https://github.com/ices-eg/wg_WGSFD For further technical information on the advice request, see http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2017/Special_requests/helcom.2017.18.pdf HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the shapefile provided by ICES: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. Dataset attribute information: c-square: Unique reference of the c-square polygon Year: Year of fishing activity mid_lat: latitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees mid_lon: longitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees SurfaceSAR: Surface area ratio (Swept area, < 2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) Subsurface: Subsurface area ratio (Swept area, subsurface =>2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) totweight: Total Weight (kg) totvalue: Total value (Euros) Kw Fishing Hours: (Kw*h) Fishing hours: (h) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data). Please note that this dataset was updated (v2) in January 2019, see further details below in the lineage section.

This dataset describes fishing effort (hours/c-square) for longlines in 2012 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). HELCOM requires spatially explicit information on fishing activity affecting the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem for policy purposes. In order to obtain this information a joint ICES/HELCOM/OSPAR data call was issued to relevant authorities of contracting parties to deliver information on fishing activity based on VMS/Log book data. The raw data was submitted to ICES and processed to advice data products by ICES Working Group for Spatial Fisheries (WGSFD) as requested by HELCOM. Processing of the raw data requires specific resources, knowledge and guarantee of anonymity for specific vessels, thus the process was done by ICES WGSFD following Conditions for VMS data use. In 2015 ICES collated Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and logbook data received; data from Russia were not received. ICES provided to HELCOM advice as fishing abrasion pressure maps as well as fishing effort maps. HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the data: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. Dataset attribute information: c-square: Unique reference of the c-square polygon mid_lat: latitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees mid_lon: longitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees Year: Year of fishing activity quarter: Quarter of the year, if applicable geargroup: Fishing gear group (Effort maps) SubsurfSAR: Subsurface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) SurfSAR: Surface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) Fishing_ho: Total fishing effort in hours within c-square (Effort maps) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data.

This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment in terms of the nutritional status of seals measured as average blubber thickness of seal populations as it signals both long term and short-term changes in food supply and many other stressors for the seal populations. Good status is achieved when the subcutaneous blubber thickness is above the defined threshold value, which reflects good conditions. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 1 (the entire Baltic Sea, without the Kattegat). Attribute information: "Assessment" = Name of assessment unit for the evaluation "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Threshold value" = Threshold value (mm blubber thickness) "Specimen" = Specimen information "Indicator value" = Indicator value 2011-2016 "Confidence limit" = 95% confidence limit "Notes" = Additional information "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "Species" = Species Assessed

Springtime Chl-a concentration is here used as a proxy for productive surface waters. In the Baltic Sea Spatial Pressure and Impact Index (SPIA), areas with high springtime phytoplankton production will be given higher importance, as they are considered important areas for the Baltic Sea food web. In the current map, mean of springtime maximum weekly values (weeks 12-22 for the HOLAS3 assessment period 2016-2021). Satellite Chl-a concentration of the surface waters has been used and converted to index by Finnish Environment institute with resolution of 1 km x 1 km grid cells.

This dataset represents the underlying data on core indicator Population trends and abundance of seals 2018. This dataset contains reported observations for harbour seals. The core indicator evaluates seal distribution to determine whether it reflects good status. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is Good, Not good or Not assessed. Attribute information: "Species" = Species (HS = Harbour seal) "Country" = Country (2 digit acronym) "Site" = Name of site "Area" = Area "HELCOM_SUB" = Name of HELCOM Level 2 assessment unit "Latitude" = Latitude (WGS84 decimal degrees) of site "Longitude" = Longitude (WGS84 decimal degrees) of site "N2000_ID" = Natura2000 ID, if the site is located within Natura 2000 site (if available) "Year" = Year of observation "Month" = Month of observation "Day" = Day of observation (if available) "Count" = Number of individuals observed on site "Count_type" = County type "Age" = Age of individuals (if available) "No_surveys" = Number of surveys "Method" = Method of survey "CV_Estimate" "Estimate_T" = Estimate type: Modelled / minimum (observed) "Source" = Data source

Summary Estimated observations of the biotope AC were collected from the Baltic Sea area by expert judgements for HELCOM Red List of biotopes, habitats and biotope complexes. Description Baltic Sea seasonal sea iceThe HELCOM Red List of Baltic Sea underwater biotopes, habitats and biotope complexes (2013) is an updated and improved version of the Red List assessment of marine and coastal biotopes and biotope complexes published in 1998. The classification of the report follows the proposed International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria and assessment principals but with some modifications for the Baltic Sea.Altogether, the HELCOM Underwater Biotope and habitat classification (HELCOM HUB) includes 209 biotopes of which 59 were red-listed. Many of the red-listed biotopes are located in deep areas of the Baltic Sea due to oxygen-free nature as well as in the southwestern Baltic Sea due to the salinity restricted distribution of species in certain biotope. The HELCOM assessment relies heavily on expert judgment and inference, and the questionnaire data represents the estimated presence-absence data not in-situ measured data. This must be taken in account when observing the map presentation. The biotopes are shown on the map using the EEA 100 km grid. This dataset displays estimated presence of AC according to HELCOM RED LIST assessment experts:The distribution of the biotope covers the whole Baltic Sea, but is most common in the northern regions. From a time series of the maximum annual ice extent of sea ice, a declining trend can be detected. During the last two decades all ice winters of the Baltic Sea have been between average and extremely mild. The length of the ice season shows a decreasing trend by 14–44 days in the latest century (Vihma & Haapala 2009). The distribution area in the 100 x 100 km grid where the biotope occurs during an average ice winter when the ice covers approximately 200 000 km2.(Data (expert judgements) collected in HELCOM RED LIST project, released in May 2013)

A vector grid in 2 x 2 km resolution showing the environmental sensitivity and the underlying themes that have caused the final vulnerability in summer for the Baltic Sea area. This dataset has been produced by COWI (http://www.cowi.dk) for the BRISK project (Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea, http://www.brisk.helcom.fi/). Sensitivity map is based on datasets provided by the BRISK Project Partner organisations. The detailed documentation of what partner provided what data is given in the Annex of the document: 70618-3.1.2.2 Data Collection Report. Field explanations: RS_SR: Rocky shores and stony reefs, Estuaries; Estuaries, Lagoons: Coastal lagoons, Bays: Shallow inlets and bays, Sandbanks: Underwater Sand banks, Beach: Sandy beaches, Seagrass: Sea grass, meadows, Spawning: Spawning area for fish with demersal eggs, Nursery: Nursery areas for fish on shallow water, Off_spawn: Offshore spawning areas for fish with pelagic eggs, Win_Birds: Wintering areas for sea and shore birds, Staging: Staging areas for migrating sea and shore birds, Breeding: Breeding areas for sea and shore birds, Moulting: Moulting areas for sea birds, Mammals: Marine Mammals, Protected: Protected areas, Aquacult:: Fish farms and aqua cultures, Sum: Weighted vulnerability index, Index: Not used Weighted vulnerability index is used to depict vulnerability for the Baltic Sea. Certain parameters have been used to map the environmental sensitivity to oil and each has been weighted for four seasons based on expert judgment. Two alternative sensitivity weighting matrices were also prepared in order to evaluate and validate the results. The sensitivity maps has been combined with the data on oil impact to model environmental damage, and to quantitatively compare the relative efect of the proposed new measures to reduce the risk, impact and damage of oil. Underlaying paramenters used in the vulnerability calculation can be obtained from HELCOM map service under Shipping\Risk Assessment (BRISK)\Environmental parameters -folder.

This core indicator evaluates the status of the Baltic Sea based on the number- and the size of illegal oil spills detected in annual aerial surveillance. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is "Achieve", "Fail" or "Not assessed". Good status is achieved when the amount of oil spills are below the threshold value. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 2 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins). Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "level_2" = name of he HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit (subbasin) "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "STATUS" = Status of the indicator (“Target achieved”, “Target exceeded” or “Not assessed”)

This dataset describes fishing intensity for DRB MOL mobile bottom contacting gear in 2016 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). ICES secretariat collected during 2017 relevant VMS and logbook data for 2009-2016 to produce, as a technical service to HELCOM, updated spatial data layers on fishing intensity/pressure. Improved data quality control checks were implemented. Submitted data across the HELCOM area have improved in quality compared to previous data 2009-2013 published in 2015. Standardized methods were used to produce the requested data layers. The code used to create the data products is available here: https://github.com/ices-eg/wg_WGSFD For further technical information on the advice request, see http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2017/Special_requests/helcom.2017.18.pdf HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the shapefile provided by ICES: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. Dataset attribute information: c-square: Unique reference of the c-square polygon Year: Year of fishing activity mid_lat: latitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees mid_lon: longitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees SurfaceSAR: Surface area ratio (Swept area, < 2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) Subsurface: Subsurface area ratio (Swept area, subsurface =>2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) totweight: Total Weight (kg) totvalue: Total value (Euros) Kw Fishing Hours: (Kw*h) Fishing hours: (h) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data). Please note that this dataset was updated (v2) in January 2019, see further details below in the lineage section.